Researchers have identified a new species of wild cat, Leopardus tilcayo, also known as the tilcayo tiger cat, for the first time in a century. This species, which is smaller than a typical house cat, inhabits the Bolivian Yungas region, where the Andes mountains meet the Amazon basin. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology on September 17, 2026.
Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a co-author of the study and leader of the Bolivian Felid Research and Conservation Program, noted that it is uncommon to discover a new, relatively large mammal. "This time, it’s a cat. That’s really novel. And it hasn’t happened in 100 years," she stated. The population size of Leopardus tilcayo remains unclear, and Nogales-Ascarrunz emphasized the need for further studies to assess its conservation status.
The tilcayo tiger cat is part of the Leopardus genus, which includes small wild cats native to South and Central America. The new study indicates that there are five tiger cat species in South America, all of which face conservation challenges due to habitat loss from development and agriculture. Tadeu de Oliveira, another co-author of the study and an ecologist at the State University of Maranhão in Brazil, highlighted that all tiger cat species inhabit rapidly vanishing habitats.
The tilcayo tiger cat was brought to the Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary by a local resident who initially mistook it for a domestic kitten. After examining the cat, Nogales-Ascarrunz conducted genetic testing, which confirmed that it was a unique species that diverged from other tiger cat lineages approximately 1.4 million years ago.
Local communities in Bolivia have recognized the tilcayo for generations, referring to it by its traditional name. Nogales-Ascarrunz aims to preserve this local knowledge while conducting further research, including the installation of camera traps in the Yungas forest to gather more information about the species.
While it is not uncommon for scientists to add mammal species to taxonomy, many new species result from splitting existing species based on genetic distinctions. The tilcayo, however, was previously unknown to science. Nogales-Ascarrunz expressed concern for the species' future, viewing its discovery as a compelling reason for conservation efforts.